Union Coal Minister inaugurates MCL’s Coal-Neer Plant at Handidhua, Talacher

New Delhi: Union Minister of Coal & Mines G. Kishan Reddy virtually inaugurated Mahanadi Coalfields Limited’s (MCL) Coal-Neer Plant, a Packaged Drinking Water Plant at Handidhua Underground Mine, Talacher, from New Delhi, marking a significant step towards sustainable post-mining development and community welfare.

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The Minister of State for Coal & Mines Satish Chandra Dubey; Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh; Secretary to GOI, Ministry of Coal Vikram Dev Dutt; Ministry of Coal's Additional Secretary Rupinder Brar; Coal India Limited's Chairman B. Sairam and MCL CMD Uday A. Kaole were also present in New Delhi during the inauguration ceremony held on 22 July 2026.

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Under the Ministry of Coal ‘Mission GREEN’, MCL has transformed the Handidhua Underground Mine into a sustainable community asset by establishing the Coal-Neer Plant. The mine which remained closed since 1998 will now be utilised for converting mine water into safe and affordable packaged drinking water for the communities. The sourced mine water will be purified retaining the natural healthy minerals using CDI (Capacitive Deionization) technology, developed by IIT Madras.

The 100 KLD Handidhua Coal-Neer Plant will cater to the drinking water needs of around 8,975 people and facilitate livelihood opportunities for women associated with 41 Self Help Groups. Besides this, the initiative will support the distribution of packaged drinking water across the Talacher Block through the SHGs, creating opportunities for livelihood generation and community participation.

On this occasion, the dignitaries also felicitated the dedicated team members for their efforts and contribution towards making the Coal-Neer initiative a reality.

The initiative reflects MCL’s continued commitment towards sustainability, community welfare and women empowerment, while promoting responsible post-mining development by repurposing mine water into accessible form for the benefit of surrounding communities.

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